Revolutionary Rock Stars

It was a late August morning in Boston, steamy and damp with persistent drizzle. I knew the general location of my first stop. But rounding the corner, I hadn't expected it to be so close. Just down the street from my hotel, about a block, across from the next intersection, I could see the marble entry and trees along an iron fence. Realizing what my eyes were registering made me stop in surprise. Even in the rain it resonated as a sacred place.

For decades, since I was in my teens, I had heard of this piece of land, the final resting place of many of the men and women recognized as instigators of revolution. The Granary Burying Ground. How many times had I read that title, and spied it on an old map, wishing I could see it for myself? Too many times to count. 

I approached the Egyptian style archway, mentally noting its echo of a time period that was more contemporary. It looked out of place knowing the age of the gravestones inside the gate. People were coming and going, through the imposing arch, despite the drizzle. Once inside, the multitude of carved stones took my breath away. I stood next to an unsuspecting tour guide, half listening to his speech, while clicking away with my camera. I knew enough not to be rude and try to get a freebie tour without paying, so I moved along. After all, I didn't need a tour guide to tell me about this place.

Ironically, or fatefully, I turned in the exact direction I needed to go. I only walked a little ways along the right front path, and there they were, under an old tree. One stone to mark them all. Despite their deaths occurring in 1770, I knew them all by name, my history equivalent of the Beatles: Samuel, Crispus, Patrick, James, and Samuel. 

The "victims" of the Boston Massacre have earned quotation marks from historians because of the questionable nature in which they died. Were they victims standing up for freedom's cause? Were they rabble, stirring up trouble and getting rowdy at any chance? I tend to think of them as victims of circumstance. Forces they could not see creating a perfect storm of resentment and hostility. At the very least, they were resisting a military presence in their city, and they did not expect to die that night. 

After years of reading trial transcripts, autopsy reports, and commemorative orations, I figured I was the only one who would be excited about finding their grave in this most famous of burial sites. But I was wrong. As I stood in the drizzle, and just silently took in the scene, the pebbles lined up on top of the stone brought tears. Physical evidence that others remember their story and mark the visit with a solemn placement of stone. 

I turned to move on and encountered THE Samuel Adams. A rounded, carved stone placed there by the SAR, also covered in small stones of remembrance. It was not grand nor ostentatious, but it was solid, like the personality it memorialized. 

The path continued on, and so did I...taking in the artistry of each stone. Time had worn the iconography and some of the letters, but the solemn purpose remained. For those buried in the majority of these graves, death was viewed as something of a stalker, always ready to pounce on the next victim. Each stone contained imagery that served as something of a 17th century PSA, reminding visitors that life was fleeting.

As I roamed, I came across other men of note: Paul Revere, John Hancock, James Otis, Robert Treat Paine, William Molineux, Christopher Snider....and others....men and women who got this party started! Most with only humble stones to mark their existence - except for Mr. Hancock, of course. (1896 replacement stone is quite large.) As the humble nature of the stones reminded me of the fundamental principles our freedom was founded upon, I realized my gratitude grew...inspiring me to share their story at every opportunity.

In a glimmer of hope, I noticed, among the dead, there was a pulse of life. Tour guides in colorful dress entertained tourists with the vibrant stories of those who inhabit the Granary. It is the power of the story that connects us to each other, despite the passage of time. I was pleased to see the story used to bring the dead back to life as the Granary maintained a memorial that was not just stone, but life renewed with each child that came through the gates to learn about our past. Reminding us all that while life may be fleeting, our stories keep living, as long as we tell them. 

My DAR Adventure...Patriot Verified!

As 2015 drew to a close, I was anxiously awaiting proof of an accomplishment that had been part of last year's resolutions. Even though the proof did not come until just a few days ago, the date on the certificate clinches the 2015 tally. As you can guess, I resolved last year to join a lineage society. I had figured it would be one of the Ohio lineage groups, since that seemed to be the easiest path, but some friends here in Kentucky urged me to push for DAR.

I had anticipated joining DAR many years ago. After all, it was during my teenage years that I discovered a letter written to my great grandmother in 1978 that let her know she was eligible to join through a branch of the Garrett family that settled the Chillicothe Ohio area. I can still remember going through my great grandmother's family items while sitting in my grandmother's kitchen and pretty much flipping out. Of course, I didn't have much of an idea what joining entailed, but I can remember telling my mom that she should join...so I could join when I was old enough. This discovery led me to the John Fox Jr. DAR Library in Paris a couple of years letter - and my first look at the DAR Patriot Index. There he was, my ancestor, Thomas Garrett, listed among those who had fought. One of my favorite genealogy moments!

Fast forward about 10 years when I was around 26, and I was fully investigating what was necessary to join, as a supplement to my decade-long immersion into genealogical research. A couple of sad things happened at that time to derail my efforts: 1. I ordered the full DAR application packet from Washington D.C. for my cousin that had joined in the 70s - you know, the old snail mail - and the application came back marked in red. Apparently, my ancestor was NOT the Thomas Garrett that had fought in Virginia, but rather a son of my patriarch. 2. My research was suffering from a lack of focus (too many branches at once), and so I turned away from this idea since the disappointment was so fresh.  

Fast forward another dozen or so years, and my research is much farther along: my B.A. in history and M.S. in Library Science are under my belt, and I'm employed by the state historical society. Also, by this time, the Patriot Index is now online...and way easier to search in my jammies! I started as many do, plugging in ancestor names to find another eligible branch. I have not given up on the Garrett line, but some of the other research passed down to me about that branch has been flagged in my own research radar. It needs some work, and I'm now very doubtful of the reliability of the research of others.

2015 also happened to be the 125th anniversary of the DAR's formation - which included a really cool commemorative certificate for new members! Plus, pushing me along are some great DAR ladies that frequent our library and events - including the State Registrar. Myra Evans is quite the DAR champion and genealogy mentor! As much as she pushed, I still wanted to complete this challenge, as much as I could, on my own. I regarded this as a genealogical test. Lineage society membership has a way of doing that for a researcher. There is nothing more intimidating than putting your research to the test to have it deemed worthy or unworthy.

As soon as Myra confirmed that contemporary Family Bible Records would be admissible in the process, I had a targeted branch to work from. The "contemporary" records in my possession came from my Dad through our great Aunt Mattie Townsend. She was quite the keeper of history! If it had not been for her, and her insistence that the Daniels family research continue with the Daniels line, all would have been lost. Again, the "contemporary" records came from around 1879 and detailed the lineage back to pre-1804 Pennsylvania. That was really my golden ticket. Taking these Bible records and working both directions into Ohio and Pennsylvania, I hit the jackpot, and became spoiled by the great records in these two states.

So big drum roll reveal - my Patriot Ancestor is Daniel Estle of Pennsylvania!

I know membership is new to me right now - and so I can't say too much about the membership experience - but I thought you might like a list of some of the things I learned along the way.

1. Hook up with another member prior to getting involved. They will introduce you to the right folks who will guide you along your journey. They will not do the research for you, but their experience and help can be invaluable. Besides, use the worksheet they give you, but DO NOT attempt to complete the application yourself - that takes the special skill of the Chapter Registrar.

2. Finding the documentation for the most recent ancestors can be the hardest part - my grandmother lying about her age on the marriage certificate, great grandparents' divorce and remarriage, plus faded copies were just some of the fun obstacles encountered. Seriously, finding my own birth certificate was a boatload of fun!

3. The back end of Family Search (using the state wiki level - not name search) was a total lifesaver! They had all of the PA wills that I needed in beautiful clarity, for free, which happened to also name my female ancestor and the relationship to her father - bingo! This can't happen with every ancestor, but depending on the state, the jackpot can be variable - always worth a try prior to ordering documents from local sources!

4. Again, complete as much as you can on your own, without any help, to test your mettle. Even if you're not a professional genealogist, nor have any desire to be such, your research experience can help other members or potential members. I limited my document collection to the worksheet minimums in order to make each direct link as simple as possible. My chapter Registrar, Brenda Hume, then scooped up my docs, did a little extra digging to follow the family through the census, and filled in the actual application paperwork for submission. Dues are paid with submission, not after being verified, so just be prepared for this - and remember - if you messed up, you have another year to get your docs corrected or another ancestor verified. Considering this, it's a good idea to work on a supplemental line while you are waiting on verification. That way, if something bad comes back, you are on your way to submitting another ancestor. Most folks are descended from more than one Patriot, documenting this fact is the challenge. I'm already working on a few supplementals - at least four additional Patriots in the hopper.

5. Ordering the application packets from patriot ancestors through the DAR website has proven to be an awesome resource! I am already working on my mother's line so she can join through another ancestor - not the Garretts - and have found that the DAR supplemental info included information that is helping to solve a much more complicated family mystery involving an emancipated branch of the family. Even the Family Bible Records I used in my research will now be preserved in copy form by the DAR in Washington as a part of my supplemental information - which is pretty awesome. So, mine those records frequently for genealogical clues! They can get pricey at $10-$20 each, but they can be packed solid with great info, and worth the price! If you are unsure of which ancestor packet to order, the local Chapter officials might be able to help with that if you arrange a consultation.

6. Spelling matters! My ancestor's name was Daniel Estle - it's there in his own will and the wills of his children, etc. Unfortunately, the DAR GRS tries to be helpful by lumping all similar sounding name into one standardized spelling. While this sounds like common sense, sometimes, the system does not catch similar spellings to redirect you properly. Plus, the certificate comes back with the standardized spelling, instead of the spelling used by the ancestor. Disappointing, but in my records, and in my DAR pins, I will be using the correct spelling used by my ancestor.



On a personal note, the American Revolution has always been a very close research subject for me. From the same age, when I first learned about DAR eligibility, my personal research interest zeroed in on pre-revolutionary Boston. Why? To this day, I don't fully understand the pull. I was so focused on this research that I could name all of the important players, and events that happened in that area from 1768 to the Declaration. I even used to skip class in college to sit in the library reading newspapers of the day. The very first time I visited Boston, I teared up, seeing it on the horizon as our plane came into Logan - and I picked my hotel based on its close proximity to the Granary Burying Ground which is the final resting place of the Massacre "victims" as well as Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Paul Revere, etc. Ironically, the documentation necessary to join DAR led me to a brick wall breakthrough which I hope to write about more later - my Daniels line, which others had declared was a change from Irish O'Donnells around the turn of the 19th century, is in fact a Massachusetts line of Daniels - No name change - but rather, John Daniels born in Massachusetts - latter part of the 18th century. Is that my pull? Is that what I'm supposed to discover? At this point, I have zero idea which part of MA he hailed from...but with this new found knowledge, and an added incentive of DAR supplemental lines, there is a strong possibility that my research focus is about to head north!

As my membership time grows, I hope to blog more about membership and its opportunities for service....stay tuned!